How many realise of what we are doing is all about energy. Have you played with your energy levels when working your horse from the ground or riding them to see the effects.consciously raise your energy you can get the horse to go forward up another gear, same if you lower you energy you the horse will slow down, stop.

Now if when I am out on my horse I used to wonder why she would stop dead and just stare for no seeming apparent reason, but oh yes there was my thoughts focus was not on me and her but drifted off to somewhere else, so she stopped.

She was saying "Oi mum excuse me attention should be on me not .............. " whatever I was thinking about at the time. Took me awhile to figure that out but by listening I got it

Now some of us maybe aware of our energies and others not so, but we all use them in one way or another.

Animals are so much more intune with energies than us, as we tend to make things more complicated than we need too from thinking too much Instead of just feeling what is right and what works, animals seem to instantly know this.

So when we are working with a horse we are becoming one united energy, one circle, as that is a good description

Have you played with your energy levels when working your horse from the ground or riding them to see the effects. consciously raise your energy you can get the horse to go forward up another gear, same if you lower you energy you the horse will slow down, stop.

Very much so! More so since this spring when someone pointed out to me that the reason Cisco wouldn't walk fast beside me was because I was directing energy AT him, rather than letting it flow in the direction I wished to go. When I redirected the energy, Cisco sped up.

Since then, I am very conscious of my body language and my energy. Tamarack is very, very in tune with energy, so it's as easy to draw him in as it is to push him away with the slightest change in energy and body language.

I worked for some time to not just drop my body language, (slouch), but to drop the energy behind it. You can slouch all you want, but if you still have an energy directed with your eyes, the horse will resond to the eyes and not the slouch!

Tamarack is going to be a very good teacher for me in terms of self control...if I up my energy, he's OUTTA HERE. I have to control everything about myself in order to dance with him. Cisco is less critical, but still affected by it.

We have one girl at the stable who we used to call the Human Cattle Prod. She could wind up a horse like you wouldn't believe and had no idea she was doing it. I could get on the same horse and he would be calm and relaxed and rounded. She would get on, and the horse's head would come up, drop his back and he'd be wired. She wasn't a bad rider, just had no idea the evergy she gave off. She's worked on it really hard, just as I have, and she is so much better now. She is learning to turn it off and on!

Playing with that energy is what gave me the beginning of language with Tamarack. Seeing what he reacted to and how, gave he and I our first "words" with which we could communicate.

He rewards me when I am soft and calm, he leaves when I am not. If I am very good, he will even now bring his head into my chest (gasp)...it was SUCH a gift!

When he first came here, he did not like his head handled much. Now he will let me massage his ears and he will bring his head right into me.

I felt that softness in him when I first met him (which immediately drew me to him), but didn't get to see it right away when he came here. I had to find it!

He was not the horse I went to purchase...but when I stood beside him the first time, the feeling was almost overwhelming - a warm/hot feeling in my chest. He was the one. His owner agreed...that he found ME, not the other way around. That it was fate.

I agree our horses find us and the same with other animals we own, we may think we choose them but in reality they choose us

Energies are fun and you mentioned about upping your energy, in what way, as we can increase our energy without pushing the horse away.

Although lol, I think this is what my gal is trying to tell me when I am with her at the mo and getting better at it, now I find some how it is easier with others horses than me own at the mo, so I know where I need to work

Energy comes in many forms and the key is to know which one you are possessing at the time when we do thing, so of us do this naturally and other have to connect and work at it before it becomes natural. Which is down to how affected we have been by society to what degree we allow it to control us.

What I would like to achieve and is possible that when working with my gal that my energy is of love and light and changing the levels with in that, rather than moving from a positive and negative energy, staying in the positive but changing the frequencies of that.

As you say it is the way it flows, the direction we project it and in the form we project it too

I did not know it then, but 8 years ago I took 6 years of meditation lessons which were very helpful in my relationship with horses, animals, humans... well everything!

At the present I started for one reason meditation again, a course in energetic healing for an other and centered riding and all 3 come together again.And it was not on purpose that I started all 3 again, it sort of happened... goes to show doesn't it?

Energies are fun and you mentioned about upping your energy, in what way, as we can increase our energy without pushing the horse away.

I should have been clearer...I was referring to negative energy...if I get frustrated, forget it. He's gone. It happened when I was doing his feet, because he is young and has trouble being patient and standing still. I know this. I expected this, but the hotter and sweatier I got, the more frustrated I got. If I hadn't already started, I would have just given up. But once I started one foot, I had to do the other!

So I took more breaks, asked him to stand for shorter times, and we were both happier.

We play a lot with happy energy...up and down. It's not a problem, but I still have to measure the "up" energy given in a positive way because he is sensitive to it and I don't want to dull that sensitivity in any way. But it is not sent out in a negative way...it is play only and he does not react in a bad or stressed way...he just moves farther away, then back in. I use body language along with the energy so I am more aware inside myself of what I am doing.

Oh and I know what you are on about when trimming the feet, my gal has been the same and it varies between bored and taking the pee All I say to is if you keep them still I will be done so much quicker And I get the fidigty horse even more at times Especially when try to take photos with camera She is getting better So when I trim I work on the feet that get offered and work round doing a bit on one foot then move on to another and then back again and found this easiest on all the horses I trim and take my time doing it, no rush and works out ok these days.

I have to be more concious with me levels and try and get intune more when I am with my gal to try and help us work better, mind you she is a headstrong and has a big voice of her own and can be stubbon just like her mum at times Oh and it is all in a good way as she has bags of character that i would never dream of changing, just finding where I have to be to get her to run with me and I feel this has to be through my energy and body language that I have not got yet

Cisco taught me so much, as he is my crossover horse. He was mine when I was rude and pushy and riding so terribly that he finally dumped me off. Hard enough to frighten me. I was afraid to ride him for a very long time.

Tamarack starts fresh with me. He did not know the "old" me. It's clear that if I want the kind of relationship I strive for with him, that even glimpses of the old me (as when I was getting frustrated doing his hooves) is too much for him to handle. So with him, it is soft, soft, soft. Even the happier, more "electric" energy of play can concern him, so he is teaching me to keep everything subtle.

But back to Cisco. I had to convince Cisco that I had changed. That I was no longer the old me that would punish him in any way. It took a LOT of convincing.

I left everything of our old time behind temporarily. All the accouterments that meant anything negative to him. The bridle, the saddle, the riding, the lunging...the way we did Parelli...my demanding, perfectionist attitudes...all of it. Gone. All I brought forward into our new relationship was everything that had in the past made Cisco light up. That was treats (I use a type of hay pellet, or "horse crunch"), my clicker, our quiet times together when I was asking nothing, my "energy down" from my Parelli past and the few tricks he had learned just for fun (and food rewards), like fetching.

It took FOREVER before he would run with me. Now, that was forever in my mind. In reality it only took about three months I think, and honestly, he's not that energetic. For him, a "run" is mostly a fast trot...but once in a while he graces me with a canter beside me just for fun.

But he and I started off our new life with the tricks he knew from the past, and a reintroduction to the clicker. I vowed to have no set goals, and no expectations, and that alone kept me from feeling frustrated that we weren't progressing at a good pace, etc. I had no idea where this would take us, and I was willing to just have fun and see where we would go together.

In our last clinic with Paul Dufresne, I wasn't sure he would appreciate us using a clicker (but he knew I was clicker training), so I had kept it in my pocket. He came up to me at one point on the first day, and told me that if I had been training with a clicker, that I should keep doing it. So instantly, out came the clicker and I clicked and treated for the remainder of the clinic.

Cisco LOVES the clicker. It makes him happy. So that is the point we moved forward on our new path. As the bad things faded, and he was convinced that the new me was here to stay, I could bring back the bridle (no bit!), and I could bring back the saddle, and we could ride a bit again.

But I can tell you that at one point, riding him was too soon...even with just a cordeo. I soooOOOO wanted to see what it would be like.

I got on, and we started walking across the arena...he ignored my request to turn right...instead he turned left. I asked with my seat to stop. He ignored that request as well, and began to trot. He trotted right back to the mounting block, sided nicely up to it and refused to move further. If there was ever a clearer message, I've never heard it. He told me to get off.

I did. But in listening to him that time, it helped to convince him that change was here. We have only gone higher from there.

Ah food lights up my gal too I guess at times I am to demanding and should step back.

As wel apart from it raining alot the past few days On sunday madam was being awkward about coming in to go out for a hack, which she always enjoys, but she came in, on monday she did the same but more and walked the other horse down and then caught her and went out as was riding out with friend. Come tuesday could I get near her with the headcollar, no she would come up for me to scratch her ears and I move the head collar near her she would back off and go away, so then I took it as she no longer wanted to go out or be ridden for the moment.

But had to walk down and meet friend as she had forgot her mobile ::doh:: And walked round village with her and Ptolomy was looking about but I just said to him walk with me and he did, behind to start and then I said next to me please and he did All I said was in my head with my energy and it worked with him.

So over the past few days I have just worked with Merrie in the field as only have there to work her in and took me lunge whip as no dressage one, need to get one as that is too long and me other is too short And just got her to do a few things, basics of spanish walk as she can move her legs very high and going backwards and doing small circles tried bigger but she just does small ones, but they are good for her as she is stretching her body as she does them, I try to be next to her shoulder going anti clockwise I can going clockwise she pushes me out. So am trying to figure out who's doing what adn getting me self more relaxed.

Now she does love her hacks out as she goes along at what suits her when we are by ourselves, and I tend to do most schooling when out, by getting us both balanced together and yes I know now I need to do more on the ground with her. Also she loves to pick at all the herby stuff and I just let her, she can canter and stop when she finds a good bit of herb to eat which she does very nicely.

She has run with me before but not for along while and she walks up and down our yard with me, I know she is asking for something else to change so when have figured it out, normally this is smack in front of me, but not until I open myself up to it then it shall appear

I know if I am not hearing her she does speak louder until I do, as she never had much of a voice until I did my AC (animal communication course) and then she spoke up even more when I had my Theta healing done too and things got alot better from then on.

Do you treats at all presently? It could be a nice surprise for you both, if you go out to the pasture with a pocketful. Leave the dressage whip behind.

Just go out with nothing but treats.

See if you can get her to Spanish walk with nothing but your body language and your energy. If she even attempts a slight lift of one leg, giver her a treat. Don't ask too many times. Just once or twice. Then give her all the treats left and leave.

If she won't try the Spanish Walk, then find something easier. Backing up without touching her. You can use verbal cues if you have them...but try not to touch her at all. Again...just a couple of tries, then all the treats and leave.

See if she doesn't look at you just a little differently next time you go to see her.

I have a 22 year old stallion, I have owned him since 6 months old, recently I have had help on the yard.Although I always knew that we had a mental connection, I did not realise how strong until I have let other people help me with him!!They have had difficulty picking up his feet, putting his halter on and grooming him.Any negative vibes he picks up straight away.With these other girls he has started squealing when they try to do just the easiest things with him, which they find really off putting, but he is literally just trying them.Is he trying to tell me something!!!Or is he just having a laugh!!!

I always thought my kinsky Owen a fairly easy horse in hand.But when I asked someone who had very much experience with horses take him to the paddock, he ran amok with him ha ha ! I was very suprised!

On the other hand, my mother who has very little experience with horses can do anything with him.

At one time I came outside and she had both Jamie and Owen together in the courtyard tied to the wall which was in itself amazing. (Jamie does not let him tie down and they ussually fight...)

They were standing with both their hindquaerter towards each other, in between the space there was my mother, sitting on the ground and very gently grooming Owen's hind legs with her face very near to his hoof, she was humming and the boys both stood there drooling and sleeping ha ha !

Imagine my surprise!

They both could have kicked her to pieces... kicking towards a fly... or more likely, each other.

But my mother is some sort of mahatma Ghandi...I should have known ha ha ha !

Yes its strange I am sure if you have no doubts at all in your mind you do not get a problem.I have developed over the years a sort of inner strength with my horses, whereby I feel happy in their company and never doubt their intentions towards me.

I was a tad cautious with Tamarack when I first got him, but I realized that he could feel any doubt in me...so I had to rid myself of it quickly.

With dogs, I honestly believe that fear and anger SMELL the same. What ever chemicals are given off when those emotions hit us, cannot be discriminated between easily with a dog. I am equally certain that a horse's sense of smell must be very equal to a dog...so even whether or not it is (or seems to be) wholly subconscious, or whether it is just a good sense of smell, a horse knows when you are frightened or worried...then they begin to wonder if they should be frightened or worried too.

I would love to be able to ask Cisco about this...he's been through it with me.

Josepha ... totally off topic but just had to comment. Your post took me by surprise as I have a daughter whose name is Jaime Owen! How ironic is that! *GRIN*

Now, on topic ... energy is a powerful thing. If we were to stop and really think on it we'd realize that ALL THINGS are made of energy ... just in different forms. Horses respond to energy acutely because they receive the energy's frequency. Energy creates frequency. Now here's something to think on ... if you have a piano and a violin in the same room and they are "in tune" with each other, one can play the middle note "C" on the piano and the "C" string on the violin will resonate without being touched at all! Now THAT'S perfect resonance! How many times can we say we're in perfect resonance with our horses? We can control our frequencies by controlling our energy. The horse will strive to match us - to resonate with us. So, energy control is an awesome tool.